The World Since 1945: to Present

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The World Since 1945 to Present

• Anthony Pretakiewicz

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An End to European Colonial Empires

• The postwar decades brought a major turning point
  in world history.
• The colonial empires crumbled.
• The Cold War put strains on American society and
  the government.
• Nationalist movements began in the 1930s in
  Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
• After World War II nationalist leaders insisted
  on independence.

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1945

• The United Nations was set up at the end of World
  War II as a forum for settling disputes. UN
  agencies provide services for millions of people
  worldwide. The UN has also sponsored global
  summits, conferences of leaders and experts from
  around the world. These summits have discussed
  issues such as the environment, women , and
  population.

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Other Organizations

• General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)
  1947 was formed to establish fair trade policies
  for all nations.
• The World Trade Organization (WTO) was formed in
  1995 and its goal was to establish global rules
  of trade.
• The World Bank and the International Monetary
  Fund (IMF) played a large role in the world
  economy by making loans to developing nations.
• Other types of nongovernmental organizations
  formed were the International Olympic Committee
  and the International Red Cross.

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Global Issues

• In 1945, the United States exploded two atomic
  bombs. Nations have poured resources into
  building nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons grew
  from 3 in 1945 to over 50,000 in 1980.
• In 1968, many nations signed the Nuclear
  Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) agreeing to stop
  the spread of nuclear weapons.
• In 1995, the treaty was renewed but some nations
  still refused to sign.
• After the Cold War ended, many nations kept
  spending big sums on the military.

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Human Rights

• In 1948, UN members approved the Universal
  Declaration of Human Rights, which gave people
  basic rights and freedoms without distinction of
  any kind race, color, sex, language, property,
  birth, or other status.
• Human Rights include the right to life, liberty,
  and security of person.
• In 1975, the national signed the Helsinki Accords
  which gave rights to freedom of speech, religion,
  and the press, rights to a fair trial, earn a
  living and live in safety.

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Terrorism

• Terrorism has increased since the 1960s.
  Terrorism is done by bombings, kidnappings,
  airplane hijacks, and shootings.
• Terrorists focus attention on their causes and
  try to force demands on governments.
• To combat terrorism, governments have passed
  tough laws and increased watchfulness.

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GLOBAL NORTH AND SOUTH

• The Cold War created a split between the
  communist East and the capitalist West.
• Rich nations the global North includes the
  industrial nations of Europe and North America,
  as well as Japan and Australia. They control
  most of the worlds wealth and have basically
  capitalist economies.
• Poor Nations The global South refers to the
  developing world. Most of these nations lie in
  Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The South has
  75 of the worlds population and much of its
  natural resources. The global South remains
  underdeveloped and poor and life is a daily
  struggle for survival.

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1960s

• The Green Revolution begins, scientists applied
  new technology to increasing food production for
  the worlds growing population.
• The Green Revolution had limits it succeeded
  only in areas with regular moisture and required
  chemical fertilizers and pesticides and an
  irrigation system, which only wealthy farmers
  could afford.

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1969
On July 21, American astronaut Neil Armstrong
became the first man to walk on the moon.
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1980s
The computer becomes an essential tool in homes
and offices.
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1991

• The global Cold War ends when the Soviet Union
  collapsed. Tensions eased and conflicts were
  resolved. People hoped for peace.
• Ethnic Conflict Within many nations, ethnic
  groups have clashed. In some countries conflicts
  have erupted between rival ethnic and religious
  groups.

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New Nations Seek Stability

• After winning independence, new nations had high
  hopes for the future.
• People in new nations came from different
  cultural traditions.
• As problems multiplied, the military leaders
  often took control.
• Democracy did make some progress in the late
  1980s and 1990s.
• Africa, Asian and Latin America had been ruled by
  dictators held multiparty elections.

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2000
A new millennium, or thousand-year period, brings
both hopes and fears. The Millennium Dome in
Greenwich, England was built to celebrate the
start of this new era in history.
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Old Ways and New

• Since 1945, people in the world have flocked to
  cities to find jobs and escape poverty. Cities
  offer economic opportunities and attractions such
  as sports, concerts and stores.
• Some newcomers settled in shantytowns which were
  slums on the outskirts of the cities. They are
  very crowded and dangerous. There are a lot of
  drugs and crime.

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New Rights Role For Women

• After 1945, womens movements brought changes to
  both the western and the developing worlds. By
  1950, women had won the right to vote in most
  European nations, as well in Japan, China,
  Brazil, and other countries. A small number of
  women won elected office.
• In the industrial world, more and more women
  worked outside the home. By the 1970s, the
  feminist movement sought greater access for women
  to jobs and promotions, and equal play. Women
  advanced into good jobs such as business owners
  and executives, scientists, and technicians.

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Science Technology

• Since 1945 many things have changed.
• Computers were first built in the 1940s and were
  huge and slow. With the invention of the silicon
  chip by 2000 a huge computer network linked
  businesses, governments and individuals around
  the world. We now can communicate, and buy and
  sell on line.
• Medical Breakthroughs Scientists developed new
  antibiotics. Vaccines wiped out some diseases
  and prevented the spread of others. By 2000, new
  challenges arose with the spread of deadly
  diseases such as AIDS. In the 70s , surgeons
  learned to transplant organs to save lives.
  Success was also made in treating some cancers.
• The Space Age 1957 the Soviet Union launched
  Sputnik into orbit. In 1969, the United States
  landed the first man on the moon. Since the Cold
  War, the United States and Russia have cooperated
  in joint space ventures.

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A New Global Culture

• Modern communications technology has created a
  new world
• Radio, TV, fax machines, satellites, and computer
  networks
• have put people in touch and helped create a new
  global world.
• The United States is the driving force with
  fashions, products, and entertainment.
• The Artsin the last 100 years, the western world
  has gained a new appreciation for the arts of
  other countries.

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Looking Ahead

• Many recent trends and issues emerged long before
  1945 and will continue for a long time.
• At the same time, new issues and new conflicts
  will take shape.

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